Dame Jenni Murray: “Broadcasting icon” who hosted Woman’s Hour for 30 years dies aged 75
BBC presenter, Dame Jenni Murray, dubbed a “broadcasting icon”, has died at the age of 75.
The BBC presenter who hosted Woman’s Hour for three decades has died aged 75 it has been confirmed. Dame Jenni, remembered as a “broadcasting icon” who leaves behind “an indelible legacy on generations of listeners”, became the longest-serving host in the BBC Radio 4 programme’s history.
At the helm of the radio magazine programme from 1987, Dame Jenni left in 2020. Outgoing BBC director-general Tim Davie said: “This is incredibly sad news and our thoughts are with all of Dame Jenni’s family and friends. Dame Jenni was, simply put, a broadcasting icon.
“Throughout her three ground-breaking decades on Woman’s Hour, Jenni created a safe space for her audience thanks to her warmth, intelligence and courage. We shall all miss her terribly. Her legacy endures in the countless conversations she started, the many issues she championed and the lives she touched.”
Mohit Bakaya, controller of BBC Radio 4 and director of BBC speech audio, said: “Jenni Murray was a formidable voice in British broadcasting who was warm, fearless and beloved by listeners. During her decades at Woman’s Hour, she helped shape the national conversation with intelligence, rigour and a remarkable ability to connect with audiences.
“Jenni leaves an indelible legacy on generations of listeners. We are profoundly grateful for her outstanding contribution to Radio 4, and she will be deeply missed.”
Talent management firm Knight Ayton called her “a true professional and pioneer” who “interviewed every prime minister of the last 30 years”. They added: “She was as comfortable with high-powered politicians as with the grieving parents of Madeleine McCann, and the first Hollywood star she encountered was Bette Davis.”
During her tenure on Woman’s Hour, Dame Jenni interviewed innumerable high-profile figures from political powerhouses such as Margaret Thatcher, Barbara Castle and Hillary Clinton to stars of the silver screen including Dame Judi Dench, Saoirse Ronan, Angelina Jolie and Nicole Kidman.
Born in Barnsley, Dame Jenni joined BBC Radio Bristol in 1973 and went on to report and present for BBC TV’s South Today. In 1983, she joined Newsnight before moving to Radio 4 for the Today programme.
She was made a dame in 2011 in recognition of her contribution to broadcasting and was awarded an OBE in 1999. Signing off her final episode of Woman’s Hour in October 2020, she bid farewell to the show with Helen Reddy’s feminist anthem I Am Woman.